Fireworks Goldenrod: Light up your late-Summer, early-Fall garden!

The title says it all, so I’ll get straight to the point: if you want an easy way to light up your late-Summer, early-Fall gardens, then plant some Fireworks Goldenrod!

Plant it once, enjoy it for years to come. No fuss, no muss! And no matter how much the sun beats down on it, or how much heavy rain falls, Fireworks Goldenrod remains upright – so no mess either!

I love the brilliant yellow color!

There are many different types of Goldenrod, all of them very pretty, that can be found as wildflowers throughout the United States. I think the most beautiful of them all – and the most carefree – is the Fireworks species. Why?

Because Fireworks Goldenrod…

…is a perennial, so you only have to plant it once to enjoy the fireworks display each year.

…is an upright-growing plant and keeps its shape nicely. I’ve never had to prop the plant up, even after severe rains or winds.

…blooms in late Summer, and the yellow flowers shoot out like Fireworks, thus the name!

…flowers do not weigh the plant down, stands upright as you can see in the pictures.

…is not an aggressive spreader like other species of Goldenrod. New seedlings that pop up around the main plant can easily be removed or transplanted to another area.

…blooms when most other Summer plants are finished. The Fireworks species is a nice backdrop for other Fall-blooming flowers like Asters, Mums or Pansies.

Fireworks Goldenrod is not an evergreen perennial, so once its blooms are finished and the plant leaves have fallen to the ground, you can simply prune away all of the stems down to about an inch from the ground.

Once the Spring weather begins to warm up, you’ll see the leaves forming at the base of the plant. I remove any leftover Winter debris from around the plant, loosen up the soil slightly, and provide fertilizer. (We always put a fresh layer of mulch down on all the garden beds each year too.)

All Summer, the Fireworks Goldenrod remains a nice upright plant, almost like a shrub if you have two or three plants growing together as we do. The green leaves are a nice background for all of the other Summer bloomers, as the plant waits its turn to put on a show.

Same plant as above, with some of the flowers arching over the edge of the patio.

Fireworks Goldenrod Plant FAQs

Perennial in Zones 4 – 8

Likes full sun and average soil

Likes some water in the heat of the Summer

Upright growth, on average between 3 and 4 feet tall

Not an aggressive spreader like other species of Goldenrod

Enjoyed by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds

Looks just like fireworks, right?

Because you were curious what this was! We have two of these stone garden finials that depict the weather.
Here you see the wind on the left, and the man in the moon on the right.

Extreme closeup of the Fireworks blooms

The same heavy rains that did a number on our Zebra Grass (to the right of
the Fireworks Goldenrod) didn’t do any bit of damage whatsoever to the Goldenrod.

One more thing: Goldenrod – in all forms – is often blamed for causing hay fever and allergies. This is not true. The real culprit is Ragweed which blooms at the same time. I have allergies and can put my face right into the middle of this plant and nothing happens. Not that I’d ever do that, as that would be strange…but I’ve been up close and personal with this plant and never had any allergies crop up because of it!

So what do you think? Will you give Fireworks Goldenrod a try? Do you have any Goldenrod species growing wild in your area? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Now this is a plant that I can get into! I like fireworks and CT being as unpredictable as waking a napping cat well this is the plant for me! My what a lovely patio you have BTW…do you mind if I invite myself over for an afternoon Margarita under the pergola? 🙂

Of course you can come over, especially as you called it the correct name: pergola! You wouldn’t believe how many people have never heard of this word, and still ask me, “What’s it called again?” or “What do YOU call it again?”

Heather – you just won the prize. Well, you’ll have to share it with Amy: you called it a pergola! I adore you for that! (See my comment to Amy above! LOL) It is our favorite spot too…especially now with the cooler Fall weather!

Pet Scribbles is where I share my craft tutorials, home and garden projects, and occasional stories about my cats. I can never have enough pretty craft paints to work with, and I love to make things look time-worn with distressing and aging. Gardening is my therapy!

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